1 1 Catholic Clergy Sexual Abuse Meets the Civil Law by Thomas P ...

psychiatric difficulties, while sixty to seventy percent suffered from emotional immaturity. 110
One of their most common clinical findings in these patients was psychosexual immaturity,
which manifested itself in heterosexual or homosexual activity. 111 Baars included specific
recommendations in his presentation, such as improving the screening of candidates for the
priesthood, and revising standards of admission. 112 Baars also urged bishops, seminary directors,
and others in key leadership positions to gain an adequate working knowledge of neurotic
psychopathology. 113 Most importantly, Baars recommended that the Church handle offending
110 Id. at 10. “In general, we estimate that ten to fifteen percent of all priests in Western Europe and North America
are mature; twenty to twenty-five percent have serious psychiatric difficulties, especially in the form of neuroses and
chronic alcoholism, or a combination of both; and sixty to seventy percent suffer from a degree of emotional
immaturity which does not prevent them from exercising their priestly function, but precludes them from being
happy men and effective priests whose fundamental role is to bring the joy of Christ’s love and to be the appointed
affirmers of men.” Id.
111 See id. at 10. “Our clinical observations over many years have convinced us that priests in general and some to
an extreme degree possess an insufficiently developed or distorted emotional life while at the same time they must
be considered to belong to a group of men whom nature has endowed with superior intelligence and sensitivity. In
some, the causes . . . go back to childhood and remained unrecognized during the seminary years. Others enjoyed a
fairly normal childhood but became emotionally disturbed through misguided ascetical practices in the seminary.”
Id. at 11.
112 Id. at 15-17. “Rectors of seminaries are advised to admit only young men who have been affirmed by their
parents. A priest with average intelligence coupled with a mature emotional life is a far greater asset to the Church
than one with superior intelligence and a retarded or neurotically disturbed emotional life. Investigation of the
candidate's background by a knowledgeable rector is superior to psychological testing. Some unfavorable home
factors: working mothers of young children; "absent" fathers; passive submissive fathers and domineering mothers;
cold, unaffectionate parents; utilitarian attitudes toward life and family, etc. Home and seminary must avoid
attitudes and teachings which unduly stimulate the emotions of the utility (irascible) appetite and the inevitable
consequence of a retarded, underdeveloped pleasure (concupiscible) appetite. Fearful or excessively driven priests
who are not capable of finding joy in the sensory and spiritual goods of this life, are obstacles to the Church's
mission to bring Christ's love and joy to men and to help them to love God in freedom and without fear.” Id. at 15.
113 Id. at 15-16. “Bishops, religious superiors, priests, rectors of seminaries, vocational directors, and moral
theologians should be fully instructed in the psychology of normal man, and also have an adequate working
knowledge of neurotic psychopathology. The Church is advised that as the result of the many diverse, if not
opposing views in psychology and psychiatry, it cannot be safely assumed that every psychologist or psychiatrist is
properly qualified to teach these important subjects. Too many widely-read psychiatrists and psychologists consider
it the highest degree of maturity to have no need of God and to reject His love in favor of complete self-reliance.”
Id.
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